I am a big fan of celebrating, and with my daughter’s birthday and mine being this month, I thought I would invite you all to celebrate as well! Every day this month, I plan on doing something, whether big or small, to honor/celebrate/appreciate myself, and it would be awesome if you did the same!

Most of us have bad habits of filling our minds with negative self talk. We tell ourselves we’re not good enough, or compare ourselves to others. We fill our to do lists, feeling a sense of accomplishment when we check them off, only to rush to finish the next task without stopping to just enjoy and appreciate all of things we have already accomplished. So this month, I challenge you to take time every day to celebrate who you are, all that you do, how far you’ve come, and just being your unique self! Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Ways to Celebrate Yourself

Learn something new. Take a class, read a book, watch an online tutorial, talk to someone who is knowledgeable about a topic you are interested in. Learning new things alters your brain chemistry, it can make you feel better about yourself, you can meet new people, get inspired and create new ideas, and has many other positive benefits.

Physical care. Do something that makes your body feel good, which in turn will make you feel mentally and emotionally good. Exercise, dance, go for a walk, cut your nails, take a bath, style your hair differently, whatever feels good to you.

Make a special meal. For me, cooking is an art form. I choose my ingredients based on my mood, my environment, the season, and often feel inspired to create new combinations and dishes. Be sure that whatever you create is also going to make you feel good afterwards. If you know you will regret eating something with dairy, gluten, etc., don’t do it, no matter how good it sounds at the time.

Set aside time to be alone. Some of us have more opportunities to get away and have time for ourselves than others. Having a child who is approaching 18 means I have far more free time than I did ten years ago. Even if the only chance you get is on a lunch break or while driving in your car, make the best of it. Use your time alone to be fully present in the moment. Try not to allow the usual mind chatter to fill your thoughts, and use the opportunity to practice meditation (the act of being present) in your everyday routine.

Connect with someone. Celebrating can often be fun when you’re sharing the joy with others. Pick a day and time to really connect with someone you care about. Put your phones and other distractions away, and be fully present in one another’s company. If you can’t get together in person, give someone a call or write them an email or letter.

Spend time in nature. Get outside and celebrate Mother Earth’s unconditional love for us. Take time to appreciate that the planet endlessly supplies us with everything we need to sustain life, despite how we treat her. Celebrate the fact that we are one with nature, and not separate.

Sleep in/Take a nap. Honoring your body with rest is a great way to reset and refresh yourself.

Give yourself a gift. I’m not advocating indulging in needless consumerism, but treat yourself to something that is meaningful and will bring you a feeling of joy. It could be a piece of art, a ticket to a concert or a used record, a seashell, flower, or other gift from nature, a book, a new experience, something you crafted, etc. It doesn’t have to cost money, it just should just feel good to give to yourself and allow yourself to receive.

Celebrate someone else. Like I mentioned, my daughter’s birthday is also this month, so I am celebrating her as well as myself. Choose someone you care about and find a way to show them that you love them and celebrate their place in your life and in the world.

Do something that puts you out of your comfort zone. Anything! Put yourself out there and own yourself. You could dress up in something funky or flamboyant and go out in public (I was a big fan of this in my 20s and it was liberating and confidence inducing), color your hair, go dancing if you think you can’t dance, try something you’ve always been afraid of, meet someone new, go someplace alone if you’re never alone, go out with other humans if you tend to hermit. We get one short life that has a surprise expiration date, so why would oyu want to spend it playing small? You are an incredible, unique individual who has a light to shine. Don’t apologize for being who you truly are, and don’t keep yourself small and quiet to appease others. Go out there and own who you are!

Do some inner work. We all have aspects of ourselves that still need some evolving. Take time to look at your shadow side, and see what needs to come to light. If you aren’t seeing some type of counselor or therapist, consider scheduling an appointment with one. If money is an issue, I get plenty of free therapy from YouTube videos. Just yesterday, I learned what is at the root of my procrastination, and it turns out it’s shame that I picked up from childhood traumas. We ALL have issues that we need to work on to help us be our happiest and highest functioning selves. Take some time to heal yourself with love and compassion. No one can take care of you or love you like you can- build a strong healthy relationship with YOU, it’s the best gift you can give yourself.

Throw a party! Pick something you are proud of and throw a party around it. It could just be you sitting in a chair drinking a cup of your favorite tea and reading a book or watching a movie you love, as long as you are acknowledging that you deserve recognition for ____ (fill in the blank). You deserve to celebrate for just making it as a human!

Every day this month I will be posting how I’m celebrating on my Instagram. Follow along and tag me so I can see how you’re celebrating! @itsstellamarin